1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of hand-held labelers.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 1,665,467 to David B. Miller dated Apr. 10, 1928 discloses a stamping device in which a pivotally mounted hammer is tripped into printing cooperation with a marking stamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,931 to Charles C. Austin dated Nov. 5, 1968 discloses a hand-held label printer in which a print head is mounted for straight line reciprocating movement. This patent discloses cocking means responsive to an actuator for moving the print head from printing to a retracted position during the cycle, a detent for holding the print head in the retracted position during a subsequent part of the cycle, and trip means responsive to the actuator at or near the end of the cycle to disengage the detent, thereby permitting a spring to snap the print head into printing position.
Published German patent application No. P 23 45 249.5-27 (2530346) of Meto International GmbH discloses a hand-held labeler having an actuating lever and a spring-urged print head lever. The spring may be cocked by swinging the actuating lever up to the point of reaching a spring force which is greater than the maximum of resistance opposed to the movement of the printing mechanism toward the platen. When this occurs, the print head will be snapped against the platen with constant force independent of the force or speed of movement of the actuator lever.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,817 to Werner Becker et al dated Oct. 14, 1975 discloses a device for printing and dispensing labels in which a printing mechanism and a label strip advancing mechanism are actuated by movement of a secondary lever and the secondary lever is moved by a primary lever only after actuation of the primary lever to exceed a predetermined biasing force tending to maintain the secondary lever stationary.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,701 to William Martin dated Apr. 2, 1974 discloses a labeler having an actuator lever or pivot arm which is manually movable and which is connected to a print head. The actuator lever carries a pawl which cooperates with a tooth of the ratchet wheel to drive the feed wheel to advance the web. When the actuator lever is gripped the print head is pivoted into printing cooperation with the platen and upon release of the actuator lever a spring returns the actuator lever and the print head to an initial position and causes the pawl to drive the feed wheel.